I Would
by I am Bianca Daughter of Hades
Summary: Who would secretly love Piper McLean for years longer even when she is completely in love with his best friend? Of course, Leo Valdez. It's just his problem of never knowing when and how to tell her that he would. But if only there was a miracle to make her realize that...maybe SHE would, too. Inspired by 'I Would' (by One Direction).


**Author's Note: Whoopee for my second Liper oneshot! XD Piperella was my first (and most reviewed oneshot). I seem to be writing a lot considering my activity in the later months of last year...**

**So, I got Liper feels from the song randomly. XD I love One Direction songs apparently. So I wrote this. The week before exam preparation week. Did I mention that Math, Biology, Geography, and Language is ganging up to kill me? Well, you now know the tragic truth. Anyway, I will be answering all reviews (including all the ToD reviews I haven't answered yet) after 1/17. Until then, my head shall be in a textbook. :(**

**1/13: Due to copyright violation and such problems, I had to remove the lyrics. Therefore, you may have to look up the song and listen to it. :/ But I hope you enjoy nonetheless. (And I edited the dumb typos I made on the iPad.)**

**Inspired by One Direction's 'I Would'.**

**Disclaimer: I wish I was Rick Riordan but I love being a girl too much to become male. **

* * *

Leo woke up in his bed abruptly with beads of cooling sweat running down his back. He could just swear she was just less than inches away from him a minute ago.

Unfortunately, it was just a dream.

* * *

Leo Valdez is a _horrible_ friend.

For one, he has recently discovered his crush on Piper McLean, his best friend.

For another, the said girl happens to be in love with his _other_ best friend, Jason Grace.

AND they happen to be dating while everyone else gossips about their marriage prospects.

But he couldn't help how his stupid mind keeps flitting off to a beautiful image of her with him, not as his best friend, and how it could've been...

"Hey, you okay, Repair Boy?"

He was pulled back into the real world, only to find himself getting lost in a pair of glittering leaf green eyes. (He knows people say her eyes are kaleidoscopic. But he has always seen her eyes in the shade of green leaves are in late summer.)

"Um...yeah."

Besides, it's not as if he could casually reply, "Oh, yeah. Just thinking about you as my girlfriend if you weren't already dating my best friend the big shot Roman hero."

* * *

They attended Goode High together now, after the war.

But he always walked to school.

Meanwhile, Jason got to drive his own car.

A really NICE car.

Almost as nice as the BMW Piper got.

It's not that he hated walking or anything. (On the contrary, he loved it.) It's just the fact that walking in the sticky, polluted rain while his sneakers get drenched in mud wasn't his favorite activity.

"Leo! Come in! You can ride with us!" Jason yelled out his open car window.

Leo could see his female best friend sitting in the front seat faintly. He doesn't want to be the third wheel that's secretly in love with one of the wheels. "I prefer walking, but thanks, man!"

"No problem, dude. But are you _sure_ you don't want to get in?"

He caught sight of Piper again and sighed inwardly. "Yes!"

"If you're sure!" Jason started to roll up the window.

"And don't get a cold!" Piper yelled out to him with a grin that made his heart break into melting pieces.

"I'm too hot for that, anyway!" He managed to holler back before the window was shut completely and the silver car drove away.

Leo couldn't help but grin stupidly in the sticky rain. Piper_ did_ care about his well-being after all...

No, no, no, no, no. CUT!

Jason would kill him for sure, if he knew. (Which he thankfully doesn't.)

* * *

Who has always been there when she was upset? Leo.

Who made her feel better with the corniest jokes? The name's Valdez. Leo Valdez.

Who has harbored feelings for her all these years? Obviously, him, Leo.

Who knows her inside out and outside in? Leo I-am-a-horrible-human-being-who-likes-my-best-friend's-girlfriend-who-is-also-my-best-friend Valdez

Who is a hundred percent sure of his love for her?

No, not Jason.

Bingo.

Leo Valdez.

* * *

The daydream came to him more vividly than the last time he saw it in his sleep.

His hand was gently placed on her cheek, tracing meaningless patterns on the smooth surface with his thumb. She was so close to him. Any slight movement would cause them to collide. (Not that he is against that, of course.) Their breathing was synchronized perfectly, and he could smell the faint aroma of vanilla and cinnamon around her. His heart was beating so loud, it was probably embarrassing! "I love you." Her lips brushed against his ever so lightly like a feather when she said the words. But without a word, he leaned in to-

"Hey!" Leo glared at the resident school bully indignantly. It's not as if he did anything to annoy him and his groupies to deserve a few hard kick in shins and a punch to his stomach.

The school bully just smirked, "You're asking for it anyways." A few other unhelpful classmates chuckled.

"Shove off, McGill. Your face is asking for a hard high five in the face. Then again, does that even classify as a face?"

McGill scowled at Jason, who looked positively furious and have no problem winning a fight against him, and stalked off.

Ah, the gods hate him.

He was just daydreaming about Piper before that McGill or whatever ruined it and her boyfriend, aka his best friend, had to step in for him. Talk about awkward circumstances...

* * *

He can play any sort of video game and win. Well, almost any sort. Excluding X-box, that is.

He has no idea why but the machine AND program just seem to naturally hate him.

It didn't help that his best friend was naturally good at that while the other best friend (the one he's crushing on) happens to enjoy playing it.

Leo hates how love is like an X-box he is forced to play again...and again...and again... But it was just so addictive. The hope that he might be able to win the next round kept him stupidly playing even though he loses every single time.

So, they were hanging out at Piper's place with a few other mortal friends though everyone was engrossed in a video game or other.

Then before he knew it, they were playing arm-wrestling.

"Hey, Leo! You want to play?" Piper asked with a cute grin.

Kevin, one of their mortal friends, asked with a wince, "Jason here is currently our champion."

"D'ya have the courage to win against him, Valdez?" Piper teased a little. If only he could allow himself to see it as a flirty kind of teasing.

Leo hesitated, taking a second glance at Jason's trained muscles (not to be a perv or anything) and SPQR tattoo.

"Eh, I think I'll pass."

* * *

If only there was a miracle that would make her see that he was the one.

What did he ever do to deserve such a sucky love life?

Sure, there are also other people who have it worse than him (like poor Reyna, for instance), but it still isn't fair to be in love with your best friend's girlfriend who is also your best friend.

Aphrodite hates his guts, doesn't she?

(You'd think she'd show some mercy to a hot guy…)

As he was trying to drown himself in misery, Nyssa burst in Bunker Nine.

"What, Nyssa? I'm not really in the mood." After witnessing Jason and Piper smooch cozily three days ago, you couldn't really blame him for wanting to lock himself up.

"Look, Leo, you need to stop moping." Nyssa sounded really annoyed.

"Uh, I'm not-"

"Don't deny it. We all know." Nyssa crouched down next to him with a sympathetic smile.

Leo gave a mirthless chuckle.

"But that's not the point," Nyssa shook her head slightly, getting up.

He looked up at her.

"Jason and Piper broke up."

* * *

Gods, if only he had said what he thought during Jason and Piper's relationship. He would've told her how he thought it would turn out! She wouldn't be hurt! And if only Tia Callida hadn't interfered, Piper would've chosen him and- and-

Well, he could've loved her with his whole heart, instead of the little pieces.

He could've held her like he used to, before Jason showed up.

He could've kissed her like he has always dreamed of doing.

So many possibilities whirled in his brain as he pelted all the way to the Aphrodite cabin.

It didn't really matter that twigs and leaves were flying into him all the way. But before he goes to Piper, there is one more thing he had to get from his cabin for her.

Fumbling with the mess of his room, he finally found what he was looking for, grabbed it, and bolted right out the cabin.

"She's in the cabin!" Lacey yelled at him as he flew past her figuratively.

He barely had time to nod his thanks before he flung open the door to see his best friend sitting on her bed with a box of tissue next to her.

He managed to pant out one word,

"Piper."

* * *

"What- what happened?" Leo asked tentatively, moving to sit next to his best friend.

Piper looked up with tired eyes that had dried tearstains left on her cheek. He reminded himself just in time before he reached out to stroke the trail. She still looked beautiful but not as broken-hearted as he feared. "Well, we broke up."

"Do I need to beat Jason up for being an idiot?" Leo offered chivalrously, feeling the fire within him burn for revenge of Piper's hurt.

"No!" Piper laughed weakly, shaking her head. Her eyes softened as light glistened in them, "I broke up with him."

"Wait, _what?"_ Leo's eyes widened. Piper is crazy for Jason. "Why? How?" He felt so confused now.

"I think…it wasn't right." She bit her lip in a way that made him want to kiss her. "It didn't seem as real as it should've felt. I guess my mother did interfere with the both of us. I mean…Reyna. She deserves him, if not better. Jason isn't happy here either. He should be in Camp Jupiter. I- I had upset the balance of the way things should've been." She took a shaky breath, "Maybe I've known form the start. Maybe I was just selfish. But…but I'm scared. What if no one would love me? It felt like it when I was with Jason, even though something still wasn't right. I mean, who would ever truly love me? It just felt like Jason was the only one and I- I-" She looked down and whispered, "Who would?"

He reached out for her hand, squeezing it lightly. He knew the hurt of not being loved back. He's known it for many years already.

"If this makes anything better…here," he handed her an album. The newest One Direction album to be exact.

"What-"

He held up his hands to silence her before she questioned his motives. "I know they aren't your favorite band but, um, they're still pretty good."

Piper opened her mouth but Leo immediately said with a slight blush, "I-uh- have to go now. Um, later!"

Once he is out of the door, he sends a prayer up to the gods that it won't turn out to be a disaster.

* * *

Piper frowned as she turned over the album. Why is Leo acting so weirdly? She didn't want to ask Jason since the pain of breaking up with him herself was still fresh. (But it was slowly fading away. It just wasn't as painful as she expected.)

She saw a note with Leo's messy scrawl over it.

_Take a look at Track 9._

She placed the note carefully beside her as she scanned the tracklist.

**Track 9: I Would**

A smile blossomed across her face. It slowly turned into a grin as she set the album on her bed and tidied up hurriedly. Piper ran out the door with giddy warmth in her heart and an unexpected rush of excitement. Suddenly, everything seemed so clear. She was just stupid not to see it from the start.

But right now, her priority is to find_ him_ and tell him that she would, too.

* * *

**Author's Note: Phew! This turned out a bit longer than I expected! :) But no matter, this is a slightly angsty, romantic, cute oneshot featuring one of my OTPs, Liper. I hope I did them justice! :D And now, I shall sing a little song: **

_**Hey, you just read this**_

_**My Liper story**_

_**So if you liked it**_

_**Review it maybe?**_


End file.
